It’s back. Fringe and its 31 days of revelry are here to signal the start of “Mad March”. The city is abuzz with electricity as Adelaide’s East End becomes a hive of activity. With more than 1300 events across 100 venues, the season can feel overwhelming, so here are some of our top picks for this year.
For the fifth year, Counterfeit Collective is bringing a collection of experimental films from emerging filmmakers to the Fringe with Underexposed. The organisers of Underexposed pride themselves in spotlighting local filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds in a free festival.
Underexposed is a free event, which takes place on Thursday March 6 at Milledges.
In Masterpiece, which won three awards at last year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, Rae Colquhoun-Fairweather and Will Bartolo play two art installers hanging a piece. Its premise may seem underwhelming, but with the comedic genius of the performers and a musician live-scoring every moment of the mundane task, the performance is unrelentingly funny and entertaining.
Masterpiece is showing from Tuesday March 4 until Wednesday March 12.
Isaac Humphries is back with a bang. The Adelaide 36ers power forward, who made history in November 2022 when he became Australia’s first openly gay male pro basketballer, is reprising his 2024 show with additional songs and stories. Isaac Humphries sings of incredible highs and unimaginable hurt and, at seven feet (213 centimetres) tall, he is a commanding presence on stage.
Isaac Humphries – More of Me is showing from Wednesday March 12 until Saturday March 15 at The Vagabond at The Garden of Unearthly Delights.
Rhys Nicholson needs no introduction. Whether you know them from Drag Race Down Under, Taskmaster or from their flash of red hair, there’s no denying just how funny Nicholson is. Nicholson is an ambassador for this year’s Fringe and their stand-up special is one of the festival’s hottest tickets.
Rhys Nicholson: Huge Big Party Congratulations runs from Thursday March 12 to Saturday March 15 at Hindley Street Music Hall.
Comedy for the Curious describes itself as Have You Been Paying Attention? meets Mock the Week. It’s hosted by marine-biologist-turned-comedian Robyn Perkins. On the agenda are discussions of competitiveness and conspiracy theories, as participants delve into why some people will smash a Pictionary board in anger and others devote their identity to the dark corners of Reddit.
Comedy for the Curious: 2025 runs until Sunday March 16 at The Piglet, Gluttony (Rymill Park).
Accompanied by a live band, the award-winning Gin Martini Burlesque Revue transports its audience back to the decade of feathers, flappers and Prohibition. The show’s glamorous showgirls and burlesque dancers perform in and around oversized Martini glasses while strains of jazz play.
The Gin Martini Burlesque Revue is showing until Thursday March 20 at the Tasting Room at Prohibition Liquor Co.
Cirque Kalabanté performs an impressive double act, simultaneously showcasing breathtaking acrobatics and human pyramids while telling the story of daily life in Guinea. Set to a soundtrack of Afro-jazz, percussion and West African kora music, it is a stunning medley of innovative choreography, storytelling and costumes, which pay tribute to the Guinean diaspora.
Cirque Kalabanté – Afrique en Cirque is on at The Flamingo at Gluttony – Rymill Park from Saturday March 8 until Sunday March 23.
Step inside history at Sleeps Hill Tunnel, a relic of South Australia’s industrial history; the 377-metre-long tunnel has gone from being a steam train tunnel to a mushroom farm. On the walls of the tunnel are enthralling images and projections, which allow each participant to move through time and place. Expect collages of archival newspaper clippings, an enchanting projection of time-lapsed mushrooms, a fluorescent glow-in-the-dark mushroom world, and a brand new “Infinite” tunnel of mirrors, projections, light and music. This multimedia showcase will leave you mesmerised and with a new appreciation of Adelaide’s hidden history.
Sleeps Hill Tunnel is on until Sunday March 30, located in Grandview Crescent.
Adelaide Fringe runs from until March 23. Tickets are available online, over the phone or at the Fringe Tix box office on the corner of Rundle Street and East Terrace.
adelaidefringe.com.au
@adlfringe
With additional reporting by Lucy Bell Bird.
